This invention relates to the vehicle arts, and more particularly, to means for providing a readily detachable sunscreen for the interior surface of any window or windshield in a vehicle.
The effect of the sun in drastically raising the interior temperature of vehicles (including cars, trucks, and airplanes) parked outdoors is notoriously well known, particularly as it occurs during the summer in hotter geographical regions such as the southwestern United States. The oven effect causes the interior of vehicles exposed to such intense sun light to reach temperatures which may approach 200 degrees F. In addition to being extremely uncomfortable to passengers and the operator entering a vehicle which has been so exposed, the controls become so hot as to be virtually impossible to touch until the interior has been somehow cooled with a consequent cooling of the controls. Further, extended periods of high interior temperature have a decidely deleterious effect on the interior materials such as upholstery, and also on the vehicle control and information display systems. In particular, the reliability and life of certain electronic components are radically adversely affected by extended exposure to high temperatures. Still further the direct exposure of materials used in vehicle interiors (such as vinyl, cloth, etc.) to the ultraviolet spectral components of intense sunlight for extended periods results in early deterioration of such materials.
To minimize interior heating and the effects of such long term exposure to intense sunlight, sunscreens have been devised for permanent installation in the rear, and in some instances the side, windows of vehicles subject to exposure. These sunscreens typically consist of perforated metal or perforated plastic sheets which are custom configured for a given window in a rigid structure. The perforated plastic material may be provided, on its outside face, with a reflective, and sometimes decorative, coating to redirect a substantial percentage of the sun's rays back through the window glass, thus correspondingly decreasing the heating effect and ultraviolet ray bombardment which would be experienced through the window if it were unshielded.
However, the total effectiveness of the shielding system is manifestly reduced by the fact that only a portion of the total vehicle window area is treated; i.e., there is no sun shield provided for the windshield, which may have the largest area of the several vehicle windows, and the use of such sunscreens for the side windows (and even rear windows) may be limited by legal visibility requirements mandated by the vehicle licensing authority. In particular, the visibility requirements for aircraft are such that no sunscreens which would in any way limit the pilot's visibility are permitted to remain in place during aircraft operation.
It has been proposed in the prior art to provide sunscreens for vehicle windshields which are not permanently attached, but which may be removed during vehicle operation. However, these prior art attempts at providing a readily removable sunscreen for the interior of a vehicle have been characterized by detachable affixing means which were impractically difficult to manipulate and were unreliable and uncertain in operation, typically requiring permanently affixing one element of a two-piece fastening structure (such as hook and loop, snap and suction cup, etc.) to the window surface. The permanently affixed fastening elements are not only unsightly but may also be unacceptable in such applications as the windshield of an aircraft.
Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it would be highly desirable to provide an effective sunscreen for any window, including the windshield of any vehicle, including aircraft, in such a manner that the entire sunscreen structure may be easily and completely mounted and demounted for alternative use and storage during vehicle operation.